Save the Date
Openind Reception for the new exhibit, Home Front: Life During the Civil War
Saturday, February 11, 2012
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Upcoming Events
Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War reading and discussion series
The Western Illinois Museum is pleased to serve as the community partner to the Western Illinois University Libraries and the Department of History who will host a free five-part reading and discussion series called Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War. University Libraries is one of 65 libraries nationwide receiving grants to host the series developed by the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Group discussion events will be held once a month at the library on the following works:
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“March” by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, 2006)
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“Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam” by James McPherson (Oxford University Press, 2002)
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“America’s War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on Their 150th Anniversaries,” an anthology of historical fiction, speeches, diaries, memoirs, biography, and short stories, edited by national project scholar Edward L. Ayers and co-published by NEH and ALA.
University Libraries received multiple copies of each book, and anyone with a valid driver’s license can check them out from the museum or the Access Services Desk at the Malpass Library. In an effort to ensure access to as many patrons as possible, most copies have been placed on 7 day reserve. If you would like a copy for a longer period of time, you may inquire at the desk.
Dr. Timothy Roberts, Assistant Professor with the Department of History will lead a discussion of the book at each session.
In addition to the discussions, Western Illinois Museum, as community partner, and will host a couple of supplemental events to coincide with the book discussion.
Schedule of events:
Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m.
Imagining War
Featured Reading: Geraldine Brooks’ March.
Location: Leslie F. Malpass Library, Garden Lounge
Thursday, January 19th at 7:00 p.m.
Choosing Sides
Featured reading: America’s War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries, Part Two.
Location: Leslie F. Malpass Library, Garden Lounge
Thursday, February 9th at 7:00 p.m.
Making Sense of Shiloh
Featured reading: America’s War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries, Part Three.
Location: Leslie F. Malpass Library, Garden Lounge
Saturday, February 11th from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Opening Reception for exhibit: Home Front: Life During the Civil War
Exhibit on view through May 5, 2011
Location: Western Illinois Museum
Saturday, February 25th at 1:00 p.m.
Lecture: Fifty Miles to Slave Country: Slavery in Missouri and Why It Matters with Katie Benson, WIU History Graduate Student and Intern at the Western Illinois Museum.
Location: Western Illinois Museum
Thursday, March 1st at 7:00 p.m.
The Shape of War
Featured reading: James M. McPherson’s Crossroad of Freedom: Antietam
Location: Leslie F. Malpass Library, Garden Lounge
Thursday, April 5th at 7:00 p.m.
War and Freedom
Featured reading: America’s War: Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries, Part Five.
Location: Leslie F. Malpass Library, Garden Lounge
For additional information, please contact Tammy Sayles, Marketing and Outreach Librarian at (309) 298-3298 or via e-mail at tj-sayles@wiu.edu.